The benefits of undertaking Christian service-learning: Student perspectives

This research explored the benefits of undertaking Christian service-learning (CSL) from the perspective of Year 11 students from four Catholic secondary schools in Western Australia. In so doing, the research attempts to address a gap in the literature by including student voice in the narrative. The methodological design was an instrumental case study of four Catholic secondary schools. Instrumental case studies focus on a specific issue rather than the case itself. Data were collected firstly through an online survey which contained both qualitative and quantitative questions, with 261 students from all schools completing the survey. Secondly, four focus group interviews were conducted, one per school. Students nominated to participate in a focus group within the online survey. A total of 26 students participated in the focus groups. Results indicated that the Year 11 students perceived numerous benefits of Christian service-learning which were organised into four areas: positive attributes, personal growth, learning opportunities and civic responsibility.